Feels Like Home
by Sheblet
Summary: "Growing up with the mighty Toph Beifong for a mother was nothing short of interesting." The tale of Lin Bei Fong's childhood.
1. Chapter 1

**Feels Like Home**

**Chapter 1**

The day Lin Beifong was born, the earth trembled with joy.

Dust fell from the ceiling of the hastily built earth tent. One strong hand remained firmly planted on the ground. The ground, as a result, shook with every contraction Toph Beifong experienced. The earth bender did not wail, or cry. She hardly broke a sweat. However, several minor earth quakes were reported from there to Ba Sing Se.

And when a tiny body emerged, wailing with life, the earth rejoiced the birth of another daughter.

"She's beautiful, Toph," murmured Katara, who had traveled to Toph's residence from Air Temple Island just for the occasion. Outside waited the rest of the Avatar Gaang, all eager to meet the new addition.

"I know," sighed Toph, the most loving of smiles painted upon her face. Now she did cry, happy tears sliding down her face as she rained kisses down upon the infant's downy head. The others had gathered now, all smiles and tiny coos of admiration.

"What a cutie," sighed Suki, clutching Sokka's arm. "Mm," agreed Sokka through a grin.

"Katara," Toph said suddenly, and everyone was startled into silence, for there was never a time the earth bender didn't call her "Sugar Queen".

"I… Yes, Toph?" Katara asked uncertainly, coming to the dark haired woman's side.

"Is she… I mean…. Can she…?" Toph's voice broke and she swallowed; the hormones were still making her emotional.

Katara gazed into the baby's clear green eyes. They stared intently back at her. She smiled. "She can see, Toph."

A collective sigh went through the room, and a broken sob burst forth from the new mother. "Oh, good," she choked, tucking the small warm head under her chin. "Good, good, good."

Her child would read. She would read, and see colors, and appreciate the world the way her mother never could.

"Have you thought of a name?" came the Avatar's low, deep voice. Aang's voice, once it had changed and deepened, had acquired a calming quality. Rich, like honey.

"I have," murmured Toph as tiny breaths tickled her collarbone.

"Let's hear it!" cried Sokka eagerly.

Toph smiled fondly.

* * *

"LIN!"

A giggle erupted from the three year old as she scampered through the house. Toph groaned, feeling the vibrations of the mess the small earth bender had left behind. Rubble cluttered the floor of Lin's bedroom as she, once again, escaped her nap.

Toph turned to leave the room and heard Lin wailing from two rooms down. Her heart seized the way it always did when she heard that sound, and she took off at a run down the hall.

"Lin? Linny?"She entered the sitting room to find her daughter sprawled on her stomach, having tripped and fallen.

Toph clicked her tongue. "Well now, that's what you get for runnin' in the house after mommy told ya no, ain't it?" She lifted the sniffling creature into her arms and bounced her gently. "It's okay, little Badgermole. I got ya. Shh, shh." She comforted the child while rubbing a hand over her to check for injuries. Lin was unharmed.

"Now we're gonna try this again. But since you destroyed your room, we'll have to nap in mommy's room." After the trauma of tripping and falling, Lin seemed to have calmed, her mischievous air replaced by a more sober attitude.

"There," murmured Toph, tucking the child under her own earth toned covers. She sat at the end of the bed and watched her baby curl up and fall asleep.

"I told ya you needed a nap," she chuckled softly. As she took in the sight of her tiny daughter tucked into the very large bed, alone, it reminded her of how she used to spend hours alone in her bed during nap times or illnesses, with no mommy coming to tuck her in or coddle her. It had been quite lonely. And suddenly, a fierce need to be near her daughter, to comfort and hold and protect filled her soul.

So she removed her outer tunic, pulled back the comforter and lay carefully beside her daughter, covering them both. Lin snuggled to her mother's chest, and they fit together perfectly.

To Toph, it felt like home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Feels Like Home**

**Chapter 2**

Growing up with the mighty Toph Beifong for a mother was nothing short of interesting.

Things were broken more often than whole. Toph liked to practice her earth bending on everything, including Lin's bedroom door, which had been put back on its hinges more times than Lin could remember.

They moved to the newly founded Republic City when Lin was four, and every day until the evening Toph worked with the Police Force, leaving Lin to spend time with her Aunty Katara and Uncle Aang on Air Temple Island.

Besides the earth bending, broken things, and police work, however, there was the blindness.

Lin was five when she was finally told. She was at Air Temple Island again, and Tenzin and his siblings were making paintings and then showing them off to their mommy, who cooed over them. Lin wanted to do the same, so she set to work.

"That's a very nice picture, Lin. Is that a badgermole?" inquired her Aunt Katara with a kind smile.

"Yep!" said Lin, swinging her short legs. "It's for my mommy. Do you think she'll like it?"

Katara paused, swallowed. She looked suddenly very sad, but she smiled and said "I'm sure she'll love it." That was good enough for Lin, who grinned broadly.

It wasn't that Lin was unobservant or unintelligent, it was just that her mother was an incredibly good actor. She had all the mannerisms of a seeing person, minus the sight. And Lin, at such a young, impressionable age, hadn't taken much notice of her mother's clouded eyes.

When Toph arrived to pick Lin up, the tiny Beifong squealed excitedly.

"Mommy! Mommy!" she cried, running at the tall woman.

"Hello, my little Badgermole," chuckled Toph, lifting Lin into her arms. She then swung her back onto the floor. "Mommy, look what I drew you!" Lin presented the drawing.

There was suddenly a heavy silence that oppressed the room. Katara put a hand to her mouth and Lin's mother… she looked stricken.

Lin lowered the drawing, feeling uncertain. "Mommy? Did… Did I do something wrong?" This seemed to snap Toph out of her stupor, and she knelt, fiercely grabbing her daughter by the shoulders.

"Look at my face." Lin did. Toph (pretended to) gaze intently at her. "You did nothing wrong. Okay?"

"Okay," whispered Lin, but she didn't believe it. Something was wrong here.

Toph seemed satisfied, however, because she grabbed Lin's face in both hands and planted a firm kiss to the top of her head before rising to her feet. Everything seemed to go back to normal, snapping back into place. "Once again, thanks for keeping an eye on her, Sugar Queen." Toph grinned and lightly punched Katara's arm.

"And again, no need to thank me, Toph. You two are family." And then Katara smiled and put her hand on Toph's shoulder reassuringly. Lin's mother seemed to sag then, shoulders slumping, eyes turning downcast. Lin swore she saw tears. Toph trembled, and Katara remained silent, putting her other hand to the earth bender's face gently in comfort. Toph came forward and dropped her head on Katara's shoulder. The waterbender embraced her, one hand on the back of her head, the other stroking her back.

"Lin," said Katara softly, "sweetie. Go play with Tenzin. Your mommy and I need to talk."

Lin did what she was told. Well, sort of. She left the room, but remained just outside the door to listen. She had never seen her mother act so vulnerable, and it made her heart sink.

"You need to tell her."

"She'll think so much less of me."

"You're insane to think that. How could she, knowing how well you do despite it? You're amazing, Toph, and she'll feel the same. Besides, she loves you to death."

"You think so?"

"I know."

"Things will be…. Different."

"Nonsense."

There was a pause in which all Lin could hear was rustling fabric. They were hugging again.

"It's five years today." Lin didn't know what this referred to. Obviously, today was some kind of anniversary. But… of what?

A sad sigh. "I know, honey."

There were a few sniffles and then, "All right, all right, enough of this mushy crap. I gotta get my kid home."

Katara laughed. "Okay."

Lin ran then. She didn't want to get caught. She went outside to where Tenzin was and watched him play with an air bending toy. Her mother came out shortly after.

"C'mon, kiddo. Time to skidaddle." Lin hurried over to her.

"Take care, Toph."

"You too, Sugar Queen."

"Bye, Lin," Katara waved.

"Bye, Aunty Katara."

Things were quiet when they arrived home. Toph hadn't really spoken the entire trip home. Lin was worried, but she pushed it down because she didn't want to upset her mother.

Lin sat on the bed and watched as her mother removed her uniform. Toph allowed her to remove and hold the badge. It felt heavy and cold. The metal suit seemed to split down the seams, then peeled away from Toph's body and rearranged itself on the stand in her closet. Lin tried to hand back the badge, but Toph closed her daughter's hand around it.

"Why don't you keep an eye on it for me?"

Lin perked up in excitement. "Okay!"

The badge sat securely on her bureau as Lin readied for a bath. Her mother offered to wash her hair.

Lin played with the suds in the water while her mother lathered the shampoo in her hands. She then worked it gently through Lin's long, curling hair.

"Mommy," murmured Lin when the silence became too much, "is there something you want to tell me?"

Toph did not waver, filling a cup with water and whispering "Tip your head back, Baby." Lin did as she was told, and warm water soaked her hair, her mother's fingers stroking through the tangles.

"Yes, Linny, there is something I want to tell you."

She didn't go about it right away, instead falling silent again, rinsing Lin's hair and moving on to conditioner. Lin noticed that it took her a moment to find the bottle, jamming her hand on the wall the tub was pushed up against before finding it on the edge.

Lin waited patiently. Her mother would speak up when she felt comfortable. Lin could wait.

It was when Lin got out of the tub and sat on a stool wrapped in a towel while her mother towel dried her hair that Toph spoke.

"I know you were eavesdropping earlier. You're not very sneaky." A small smile graced the older earth bender's lips. Lin felt her face heat up.

"I'm sorry, mommy. Are you mad?"

"Look at my face. I'm not mad. I could never be mad at you. Got it?"

"Got it," murmured Lin.

"Lin… do you see anything different when you look at my face?"

Lin tilted her head.

"Different from what, mommy?"

Toph sighed. "Well…. Different from other peoples' faces. Anything?"

Lin pondered. "Well…. Your eyes." Toph's eyebrows furrowed with a deep sadness.

"What about my eyes, Linny?" she urged.

"Well, they're really pretty. Way prettier than any other eyes I've saw."

It took several moments for her mother to contain herself after that. She brought the towel-clad child into her arms and shook. "Mommy?" inquired Lin, frightened. Toph pulled away.

"Linny. My little Badgermole. My eyes are different because I can't see like you do. Not with my eyes."

Lin felt her own eyes widen. "You can't see?" she squeaked.

"Nope," whispered Toph, nose sounding clogged.

"But… why?"

"That's how I was born."

Lin couldn't believe it. "You've _never_ been able to see?" she asked, feeling tears well in her eyes.

"Not like you. I see with my earth bending. The badgermoles taught me when I was little like you." Toph smiled sadly and stroked Lin's face.

"So you don't know what colors are?" Her mother shook her head.

It struck Lin then. "Do you know what _I _look like?"

Toph remained silent, head bowed as if in shame.

Lin couldn't believe she'd been tricked for so long. "Why didn't you tell me?" she whimpered, tears spilling forth.

"I didn't want you to think less of me," whispered Toph.

Lin left then to dress and collect her thoughts. It wasn't that she was upset with her mother. Sure, she was a little disappointed that her mother had kept this a secret from her, but it was more of a shame in herself for not noticing before. What kind of daughter was she?

It boggled her mind, though. Her mother couldn't see, but she was certainly not disabled. She'd learned to see through the earth. If anything, that made her mother even more amazing than she already was. It only made Lin sad to think that her mother would never see colors.

It was with these thoughts that Lin padded down the hall to her mother's room, where she found the older Beifong curled on her side atop the covers of her bed, her back to the door. She looked much smaller than usual.

Lin climbed onto the bed beside her, and her mother rolled over. "Are you upset, Linny?"

"Look at my face," said Lin, bringing Toph's hands to her face. "I'm not upset."


	3. Chapter 3

**Feels Like Home**

**Chapter 3**

When Lin realized that her mother could only see her when she was touching the ground, a whole new door of possibilities opened to her. She felt a new mischief in her soul she hadn't previously experienced. When it was time for bed she often tried hiding out on their wooden balcony, but her mother was sharp. So sharp, in fact, that she always seemed to figure out Lin's hiding spots in a matter of seconds. The five year old was then punished, usually by means of being locked in earth shackles and told to bend her own way out.

There was one day when the two were playing hide and seek, which, in itself, was sort of a lost cause. There was really nowhere Lin could hide that her mother couldn't figure out. It was good training for Lin, her mother argued when she brought up the point. Maybe it could help her find her mother by sensing her through the earth.

Lin wasn't very good at it.

It wasn't until Lin decided to go out in the meadow and hopefully out of the range of her mother's feet that she thought of it. Before her was a large cherry tree, in full bloom. But it was beautiful to Lin for an entirely different reason.

Lin grinned wickedly.

From her place up in the tree's highest branches, Lin could spot her mother making her way through the meadow, silent, listening. Lin stayed as still and quiet as possible, lest her mother's keen ears hear her. But it appeared the older Beifong had not yet figured her out. Lin grinned eagerly at the prospect of finally winning.

After twenty minutes of searching, her mother took to calling for her. "Lin? Linny, c'mon. You win, all right? Where are ya?" But Lin felt an excited buzz in her stomach when she realized her mother really couldn't see her. For once, Lin was the sharp one. She was the winner.

So she stayed quiet.

"Lin? Oh, spirits – Lin!" The smile faded when her mother's voice became panicked. She rocked forward, planting her hand to the ground and feeling. When she didn't feel her daughter anywhere nearby, she became increasingly worried and fearful.

Lin decided this was enough and began making her way down, calling "Mommy!" to reassure her collapsing mother.

Toph's head turned towards her immediately upon the sound. "Lin?!" She seemed to sag in relief when Lin hit the ground, the familiar vibrations meeting her mother's feet. Toph ran for her, immediately falling to her knees and wrapping Lin tightly in her arms.

The two rocked back and forth. Lin felt ashamed. She should have come down the minute her mother called for her.

"I'm sorry, mommy. Are you very mad?"

Toph pulled away, gripping the child's shoulders. "Look at my face. I'm not very mad. I was just very scared. I can't lose you, too."

A strong hand guided Lin's head to Toph's shoulder once more.

"Mommy? Who else did you lose?"

Toph simply sighed. "I'll tell you when you're older."

"You say that about everything but you never tell me!"

"When you're taller, then."

"Mommyyyy!"

In the meantime, Lin mentally vowed to always stay on the ground.


End file.
